Samuel montgomery



(No Model.)

S. MONTGOMERY.

CLAW. No. 441,316. Patented Nov. 25, 1890.

Nrrn STATES SAMUEL MONTGOMERY, OF NE\V YORK, N. Y.

C LAW.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 441,316, dated November 25, 1890.

Application filed January 14, 1890- Serial No. 336,885. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SAMUEL MONTGOMERY, of New York city, county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Claws, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention has relation particularly to claws employed for drawing or extracting nails; and my improvements are especially applicable to claw-hammers, nail-claws, boxi openers, and all such implements which include a claw or claws.

The object of my invention is to provide these implements with a claw or claws which are so shaped and sharpened as to out easily into wood below the location of the nail-head, which will firmly grasp the nail in the region of the head, and which will effect the extraction of the nail with a minimum of damage to the surface of the wood.

To accomplish all of this and to secure other and further advantages in the matters of construction, operation, and use, my improvements involve certain new and useful peculiarities of construction in the article and arrangement or combination of parts, as will be herein first fully described, and then pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, I have shown at Figure 1 a side View, at Fig. 2 a front view,- and at Fig. 3 a section and elevation on a plane through line 00 cc of Fig. 1, of a clawhammer constructed and arranged for operation in accordance with my invention and embodying my improvements. Fig. 4 is a side view showing my improved claw applied upon a simple form of nail-extractor or boxopener, as such implements are commonly called.

In all the figures like letters of reference, wherever they occur, indicate corresponding parts.

A is the hammerhead, B the handleesocket, and C the handle, of a claw-hammeiz. These parts maybe of any preferred form and size, whether like a carpenters hammer, a tackhammer, or any other class.

D D are the two jaws, which together form the nailclaw. In ordinary constructions these jaws are of such form that the head of a nail mustfirst be raised above the surface of the material in which it is driven before it can be grasped and extracted. According to my improvements these outer transverse faces (represented at a a) are inclined downwardly and outwardly from the edge of the angular opening between the jaws, as best shown in Fig. 3, and this formation leaves the two jaws in the shape of the edges of cutting-tools. The edges (represented at b b) are sharpened as much as may be desired. The inner transverse face of the jaws is also inclined, and, meeting the incline of the outer transverse face of the jaws, forms a cutting-edge along the angular opening. The incline of the outer face extends for the greater part of the length of the jaws, and the cutting-edge does not extend above the general outline of said jaws, as clearly shown.

The hammer, with its nail-claw, being constructed as thus far explained, is used for extracting nails by locating the opening in the claw over the nail'-head, and then driving the claw down by a blow of the hand or with a suitable implement on the hammer-head. The cutting-edges enter the wood, cutting below the nail-head, which head is then grasped by the claw, and the nail may be drawn in the ordinary manner or with other implements. The cutting effected in the wood is very slight and does not damage the wood but a trifle more than does the nail-head.

The improved claw is peculiarly advantageous in drawing the wire nails now commonly used, because the heads are thin and it is desirable to grasp the shank of the nail, which the cutting-edges are well designed to do.

The same form of claw may be applied on b0x-0peners, which are merely bars having a nail-claw at one or both ends. One form of these is shown in Fig. 4;, wherein E represents the shank or bar having my improved nailelaw applied at one end.

In the hammer, as well asin the box-opener, the portion which forms the fulcrum or the portion about which the implement is turned when drawing the nail is made circular or round, as best indicated at c in Figs. 2 and 3, so that when the implement is being used it forth.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new herein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A claw-hammer, claw, or the like having the outer face of the jaws transversely inclined downward and outward from the edge of the angular opening between the jaws and for the greater part of the length of the jaws, and having the inner transverse face of the jaws inclined and meeting the incline of the outer transverse face, forming a sharp cutting-edge at the meeting of the inclines, which cutting-edge does not extend above the general outline of the jaws, whereby the jaws will engage the under side of the head of the nail and withdraw it without danger of damaging the material, substantially as described.

2. A claw-hammer, claw, or the like having the outer transverse face downward and out- Ward inclined from the angular opening between the jaws, forming along the said angular opening a cutting-edge which does not extend above the general outline of the jaws,

and near the angle of said angular opening made curved or convex, forming a fulcrum for the device, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL MONTGOMERY.

W itnesses:

JOHN BUoKLER, WORTH Oseoon. 

